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Post by MermaidSal on Jun 19, 2011 10:24:13 GMT
Just to put the story of what actually happened up in black and white:
Hi Sal,
I see that people are discussing David and where he is going to next with some amazement he isnt going down the glamour trail.
If you wish please feel free to post this which may help to explain a little for those few genuinly interested.
I hadn’t intended the subject of Ajax to appear here and thought it was a conversation with a small group who would keep it to themselves. However for those with a genuine football interest here is some sort of reasoning.
I can well understand amazement at the idea that a decision to not pursue an interest from a club like Ajax would seem strange. I would like to try and explain the logic.
The interest in David joining their Academy (which involves scholarship age beyond what is applied in England) was lodged the day after Stoke had made their decisions known. It came via Jan DeKoening. Jan had tracked David’s progress for a number of seasons and had been instrumental in trying to get him to Liverpool as an under 16. Liverpool were prepared to pay Stoke a large amount of money to compensate (remember he has been there since he was 9) and were among several Premier League clubs prepared to do likewise.
You may recall Clive Clarke discussing it when doing a commentary on Radio Stoke during a League Cup tie when D was on the bench.
To cut a long story short David was persuaded by senior members of the management team at Stoke to remain there. As a Stoke fan and as a young lad not being inclined to doss in lodgings in a strange city he decided that was what he preferred.
Jan has obviously kept track and rang from Germany where he was watching a Germany u19 international game. We discussed it thoroughly as we have done offers from several clubs of significant glamour in England.
We agreed with the advice of his agent and senior pros at Stoke who felt the Ajax thing was a risk which would leave him nowhere if it didn’t work out. As far as English Prem and Championship clubs were concerned he would be in a long line of keepers never getting a game.
We decided that he would be best served now getting the chance over the next couple of seasons to play regularly in reserve football as a number two or three in line in men’s football. That is so different from academy football. If he does well he has the chance to play league football by the time he is twenty and go from there.
Of course it could be as some of you suggest and a complete balls up but I thought it worth explaining to those of you genuinely intrigued why this is. He will be roughing it big time and the last thing it is based on is money. He is sacrificing much better money in order that he can play and develop. The peanuts he will earn is luckily not an issue.
Many thanks to the genuine people who have an interest. It is always appreciated.
M
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